Brock University announced Thursday that starting May. 1 the school will match the tuition costs for international students who are enrolled in a PhD programs.

Brock officials said the move is part of a strategy to broaden the scope of research at Brock while also helping to prepare students to succeed in a global career landscape.

“Our own recruitment efforts tell us that some of the best young minds in various countries would love to pursue their graduate studies at a North American institution,” said Diane Dupont, interim dean of graduate studies at Brock, in a news release.

“It is known that students who earn graduate degrees often settle in the country where they studied, so attracting the best and brightest represents a great intellectual gain for Niagara.”

Brock currently has 27 international students enrolled in PhD programs.

The university said it hopes to see that number increase.

The announcement comes weeks after Brock said it would freeze tuition for international students in research-based master’s and PhD programs.